Wringer mounting and drive for washing machines



A. c. M CORD 1,936,911

WRINGER MOUNTING AND DRIVE FOR WASHING MACHINES I Nov. 28, 1933.

Filed Oct. 5, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l WM 7' ATTORNE .5

Nov. 28, 1933.

A. c. M coRD 1,936,911

WRINGER MOUNTING AND DRIVE FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed Oct. 5, 1931 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INV'EN T.OR.

6-22 MIMJ W3 aw A TTORNEYS Patented Nov. 28, 1933 Q r I UNITED STATES FAST WRINGER MOUNTING.- ron I I WASHING Mach nes .Alvinfo. McCo'rd,Chicago; 1 .1,, ass 15pm; limiihe assignments? M QOI Ra ia? &' Mfg?"(301% Detroit, Mich.,'a corporatiiifi' of'Maine j I Application October193 1 Serial No, y l

' 4 claims. (e a-32 This invention relatesv to washing machines Fig. 5is a similar View taken ou line of and more particularly to the mountingand the Fig. 2;" j I x v r drive for. the wringer mechanism thereof. aFig. .6 isa side view,. withizparfi s irisecti m l' In my co-pendingapplication. Serial No. the controlswitch .dndclutch actuator; and i 5566,996 filed October 5, 1931, I have disclosed Figs? shows'a stoppin'iorsuchpartstobe here ta and claimed a wringer mounting in which theinafterdescribedz' I v j j 1 wringer is swingable or adjustable withrespect. In' the :drawings', 1: indicates the tub. Qf-thQ' to the tub ofthe machine about an axis different machine arranged on" a support 2havinglegs from that through which power is applied to the The tub 1' isof the upwardly .openingtyp andzis i0 wringer to operate the wringerrolls. The specific provided with" a: removable lidzor cover (not 5;; I

embodiment disclosed in that application inshown).Arranged'withinIhe-tub 1; is an agit 1 cludes a ring gear about the axisof which the .tor- 4'disposedto be oscillated about a vertica wringer.is adjustable, the shaft for rotating said axis as? providedby anupright spindle 5 (Fig. .5) t gear extending through the same in offsetor ecextending centrally into-thetub through its bot-L. centric relationto the axis thereof. tom" wan. The agitator .4 isicarried brand-7 Inaccordance with the present invention the mounted onthe upper end ofsaid spindle .8 5 in wringer is adjustable about the axis of a gear;machines ofthischaracter. 1 1 but the gearing arrangement is somewhatdifie'r- Arrangedexterior of-the tub liatone side there: ent from thatdisclosed in'said'other application; of is an upright driving shaftforthe.wringoliv In the present, as well as in the'other applicamechanism6, the latter being, located above the 75-,

tion, I employ a reversible electric motor to opertub and mountedaforswinging adJ'uS me f i ate, the machine, and use a control switch forrespect't'hereto'." The shaft referred to comprises starting, stoppingand reversing the motor to upper and lower aligned sections. 7, 8, thelatt r. reverse the direction of rotation of the'wringer beingjOurnaIedinaQaSing'B below the. tub and rolls. In both cases, I alsoemploy means. in the enclosing the drive for. the machine; The-upper. sodrive to'the wringer for disconnecting it thereshaft '7islocatedina'tubular housing 10 secured; from when desired,- such meansin both cases to the side ofjthe'tub'through a bracket 11. The being inclutch form. V lower endof" the' housi doins with 'a tubular Inaccordance with my present invention, I so portion1'2 provided onthecasing-9 for the lower arrange the clutch in the drive, that the clutchshaft 8, as shown in'Eigs, '1; and 2...,Axslee'vel3 5-.- and' thecontrol switch for the motor may he maintains the opposed ends of shaftsections.-7, operated simultaneously from a common'aactu- 8' inalignment; the sleeve b in 'fiX d, as by a ator. The advantage of thisis that it simplifies pin, to section 8;. Sectioni'? has its lower end,the control of the machine and also insures rerotatably mountedinisaidsleeveythe latterformleasing the wringer rolls from the torque of theingone of the members Of the Clu h and MW- 90* 50' hereinafterdescribed;

motor before adjusting the wringer from one ing' c1utchteeth14 atitsupper end. V I

' position to another, making a safety factor in Bracketllhasan'upwardly extending tubular that no opportunity is aiforded forthe wringer portion lfiiprovided at its'upper end; above the; to beforcibly swung about to hit the operator tub' 1, withangoutwardlyqprojeoting flange1-6 40 as is possible in other machines;forming a'seatforthe supporting fixture for. the. 5

Other and further objects of the invention will wringer mechanism. Said"fixture is in the form appear from the following specification taken, ofa casinghavingupper andlowerseotionsl'l; in connection with theaccompanying drawings. 18; the latter'hayinga depending tubular portionin which- 19 bearing on said seat; Housinglo fits into Fig. 1 is a sideview. of a washing machine em- 1 tubular portion 19 cand'provides aguideand supe. 10g bodying the features of my invention; port therefor;when" assemblingthe' parts; The v 1 Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional viewwith 'parts' upper end of shaft 7" terminates the-tubular in elevation,taken on line 2-2 of 'Fig. ,1; portion lirand'is'connected byia" sleeve19a;with

:Fig. 2a shows the clutch construction to be the lowerendiofastub'shaft'flo journaledin the r bottomgwalluofsection18.:iThereis .a'. fslin,zbut 1'05; Fig.3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on.non-rotative connection; between, shaft} 20an d1 line .3--3 of Fig. 2*to show certain details of coupling-l9atopermit assembling,and'di'sassemg. construction; J; blingbtthe partszi 1 Fig. 4 is ahorizontal sectionaljview taken on" Agearcpinibnf2l istfixed-to theripper yendjor; line 4-4 of Fig'i-Z; shaft20' iwithin :cas'ingflsection:18v and meshes 1106' with a gear 22'having a hub 23 on its undersiderotatably seated in a. recess 24 formed in the the lower roll by theusual spring tension as embottomwall of the section 18. A bevel gear 25is supported by gear 22 on its upper side, being fixed for rotationtherewith through a central' boss 26 pnthe underside of the bevel gearfitting in arecess inthe carrying gear. -'A bevel, gear 27 is in meshwith bevel gear 25 and isfixed to a shaft 28 connected by a couplingsleeve 29-to the "adjacent end of a shaft 30 of the lower roll 31.

of the wringer mechanism. Shaft28 is-journaled in a lug or web section32 on the upper section '17. of the gear casing. The wringer mechanism6, through its supporting frame 34, ,is attached to this web byfastening members 33. The upper roll 35 of the wringer mechanism,isfjournaled in the frame 34, and is yieldably pressed against ployed inwringer constructions. 7 I,

The upper section 17 of the gear casing is re:

- tatablymounted on the lower section 18 forturnthe lubricant containedin ing out at the joint.

I its differentpositions of adjustmentsl. provide a" ing movement abouttheaxis of the gear assem bly 22-25, such axis beroogoffset'v to one'side fof the main drive as providedby shafts..7 and 8.,- .The =wrin'germechanism .6 being carried "by the "upper section 17 may be swung oradjusted about this axis which is diiferent from the axis through whichpower is supplied tothe wringer for rotatin'g'its rolls. 1 The mountingfor the upper. section '17 comprises an outwardly projecting flange g 36atthe-upperehd of the .lower, section l8and a cooperating Lrib orxweb 37.adjacent'the lower end of the upper section 17, as shown in, Fig. 2'...The-lower marginal-portion .38 of the uppeit--sec.-I tion 17-fits 'intothe lower section at thefiange 36 and: guides and centersthe'sections'for .rela-* tive movement. .The constructionalso preventsthe casing. from leak- Tohold the wringer mechanism 6 in any of latchmechanism comprising the web- 37 with its plurality ofcircumferentially, spaced notches '39, as shown in Fig. 4.-- Thesenotchesiare preferably arranged in twogroups with a'number of notches ineach group, as for example three, as shown in Fig.4. The groups arediametrically disposed and thus are on opposite sides ofsection 17. In-

asmuch as the wringer mechanismvrequires -1on1y a'few positions ofadjustment, either when over the tub or when exterior thereto, asshownby 1 full and dotted. lines, Jrespectively, in Fig; 4, I

need only provide two groups ofnotches in the rib or'web37, as shown inthat figure.v I

A manually operablelatch member 40 is pivoted or fulcrumed at 41 on thelower section. 18 of thegear casing, preferably atthe'tub side of theassembly, for engaging the notchesz39. Latch member 40 is pivotedbetween lugs 42 on the .out-

.side of section'l8 and the space between the lugs.

is continued upward through the flange 36 providing a slot :43, toaccommodatethe upper end of the latch member. The upperf'end of thelatter 1 A coil spring 47 "is' employ ed for normally moving thelatch-hiember lil'in a directionwfor, its

upper end-to engage inany one :of: thenotches39 when a notch is broughtopposite the latchmem ber. *This --ispring is "carried by the lowersection 18 between 1ugs 42, f and expand's' outwardly against the innerside of the latch member. To release the latch member from a notch 39,the

lower end of thelatch member is pressed inward, whereupon the wringermechanism dis. free for adjustment.

"To reverse the direction, of? rotation of the wringer rolls, I employ areversible electric motor 7 48located beneath the'tub of the machineand,

carried by the base or support 2. The motor is preferably mounted withitsarmature shaft 49 horizontal. and which by acoupling 56 is connectedwith a drive shaft 51. The latter is provided with a worm 52 meshingwitha worm gear 53 locat'edinthe housing 9. Gear 53 is fixed to a shaft 54journaled in the bottom wall of housingQ'inline with shaft 8, asiishownin Fig. 1.

Gear 53 has a crank pin 55 connected with. a

crank-arm 56-fixed to the lower end of shaft 8. For actuating spindle 5from gear 53, a rod 57 is pivoted at one end to the pin 55 and has rackteeth53 adjacent itsother .end meshing with a pinion 5.9 fixed to thespindle 5; as shownin Fig 5. A spring pressedplunger 6O ismounted in thehousing 9 to guideand'hold the rod 57 in mesh with the pinion 59. 1 g

The clutchfor the :wringer drive comprises clutch members 61, 62.

The member 61 isfixed to" shaft 7, as by a pin or key, while member 62is slidably and r'otatably, mounted on shaft .7 between member 61 andsleeve 13. Member 62 is provided with clutch teeth 63 and 64 at itsopposite ends, the teeth 63 being relatively long so asto retainengagement with the teeth 65 on member 61. in all shifted. positions of.member.

62, as illustrated in Fig. 2a. Bythis arrange ment, member 62is rotatedat all times with member 61 and when shifted to have its teeth 64 inengagement with the teeth 14 on sleeve 13,

shaft 7 andthe connected wringer .roll 31 will be rotated from shaft 8in the operation of the motor 48. v v, i

Clutch member 62 is provided with an annular groove 66 engaged'by a forkor yoke 67 fixed 'to-a.

slide rod '68 arranged parallel to shaft 7 and disposed at one side ofthe same in a casing 69which forms a housing for the clutch mechanismand is a continuation of the lower end of the tubular casing 10 forshaft 7. Rod 68 extends above the upper end .of' casing 69 and isconnected with an arm .70 fastened to'the lower. end of a verticallydisposed rod '71 slidably mounted in 'a bracket 72 fixed to the tubelOand extending'to one,

side thereof, as shown in Figs. land 2. is pivotally connected at itsupper end to a depending 1ug-73 on an eccentric strap 74 on an Rod-71'eccentric 75 located adjacent the bracket 11 at one side thereof, as'shown. Eccentric ';'5.isv mounted on the turn button 76 'of a control iswitch 77 for the motor 43, as shown in Figs.

6 and 7. Eccentric 75 is provided with an out- Wardly projecting lug 73in line with the axis of the switch button 76.

The lug 78 forms a sup- 1 port for a handle'm'ember 79 connected withthe axis of the lugso that the handle 79 maybe moved toward and-from theeccentric for. the purposes to presently appear. movement lug by fulcrumpin 80 arranged transverse'to the ree of the handle is permitted by thewidened recess or slot 81 provided therein for the lug.

Switch 77 is of the desir'ed six pole type to ,stop, start and reversethe motor 48. To reverse the motor, the current in .the starting windingmust be reversed in relation to the running winds.

ing. This can be accomplish'ed' with a four pole switch, but the twoadditional poles areneceS5'150- To hold the eccentric '75 on the switchbutton '76, I provide a fixture in the form of ca sheet metal strap 82fastened at one end, as-by screw 1 83, to the outer side of the bracket11.1 The strap 82 is so formed as to extendover the outer side of theeccentric '75 and has an opening therein to accommodate the eccentriclug '78, as shown in Fig. 6. The other end of the strap continues downon the outer side' of the switch casing '77 and. is connected by one ormore screws '84 with a second strap which continues down to the ear 86on the bracket 11 and is fastened thereto by one of the screws 8'7 whichfastens the bracket 11 to'the tub 1.- The switch '77 is secured atitsbase to the adjacentear of the bracket llby its own bolts.

When the washing machine is not in operation,-

the handle member '79 is in the position shown in Fig. 1, extendingupward above-the switch button '76. The switch contacts are open at thistime and no current is supplied to the motor 48. To start the motor, thehandle '79 is turnedinto a horizontal position to either side of theupright or vertical portion shown in Fig. 1. Turning the handle to oneside, as away'from the bracket 11, furnishes current to the motor 48 ina manner to operate it in one direction. Turning the handle to the otherside, as toward the bracket,

causes the motor to be operated in the opposite or reverse direction.These positions for the handle '79 are marked in Fig. 1 with the dot anddash lines B, B. The switch '77 is of such construc-' tion that itsspring snaps the contacts into closed position as the handle'79 reacheseither positions B or B. The spring snaps the contacts open when thehandle reaches a vertical position, either above or below the strap 82.Moving the handle '79 into either horizontal position B or B does notshift the eccentric '75 far enough to shift clutch member 62 intoclutched engagement with the sleeve 13 with the result that no power issup- 1 plied to the wringer mechanism 6 at this time.

Power, however, is furnished to the spindle 5 and the agitator 4 isoscillated back andforth in tub 1.

To connect the wringer mechanism with the 1 source of power, it isnecessary to move the handle '79 into either of the inclined positions Cor C below the positions B and B. In posi- This is due to the reversingofthe motor 48 as the handle passed through positions B, B.

Inasmuch as it requires a degree movement for the switch button '76 toseparate the contacts of the switch to cut off the current to the motor,

I can still retain the motor in operation by moving the handle '79 tothe midway positionsC or C.

ber 62 into clutched engagement with the sleeve 13 and thus connectshaft '7 to shaft 8.

' between shaft '7 and the wringer rolls and thus simplifies the drivingconnection between {such parts. Moreover, the elimination of a reversingclutch in the gear housing 1718, enables the wringer mounting to be madewith an adjustment for the wringer about an axis different from thatwith an inwardlyiprojecting lug 88 to enter holes,

The extent of movement of the handle into, either of these positions issufiicient to shift mem- I,

nection betweenbracket l1 andcasing 18, the

through which power is supplied to the :wringer, f rolls;

.To' retainthe handle 79 in either of itspositions C-.:or .C, I providethe handle atone end I or notches 89, 90 in thestrap 82 abovethe-horizontalpositions B B" and on opposite sides of j c shown in Fig.'6. The end of the spring beyond I H c .the handle seats against adis'cl92 'which"en-' circles the eccentric lug '78- and is rotatedwiththe handle. The disc has a notch' SS'Zthrough which the lug of thehandle extends to connect the discat all times with the handle and thus'provides a bearing or support for the-spring. To prevent the handle -79from= being 'turned'to far beyond positions (3 or- C, so-that thespring? of the switch can'not open the switclijcontacts, and thus stopthe motor, I providethe strap-"82. on its front'side with a stop pin 94arranged in 'the'path of'movement of the lug 88, asshown in Fig. 7.' Thehandle '79 is pushed inward against the spring 91 tore'leaseits1ug'88-from the notches 89, 9G, whereupon the handle maybeturned back to positions-B or B or back to starting' position, as shownin Fig. l for cutting off the current to the motor. At this time the lug88 of the handlerides against the outer side of the bracket. 82, thespring :91; serving'to hold the lug against the bracket. The tension'ofthe spring in theswitchmechanisrn is sufficient to hold the handle ineither positions 13 or B and' dle away from the bracket plate 82, willhold the v handle out of the 'path' of the stop 94 andv thus the handlemaybe turned into either of the posir tions B or B or continued on to Cor C.

'I'o hold the-lower section,18 of the gear casing stationary, that isagainst rotary movement, I connectthe depending portion 19 of thesection with the bracket '11. This connection is illustrated in Fig. 3,and as shown comprises a pin 95. The pin is carried by an outwardlyextending lug 96 at the lower'end of the depending portion 19 andisreceived in an aperture or recess in a similarly arranged lug 9'7 on thebracket 11 at the upper end of its. tubular section 15, preferably ontheflange 15. As shown in Fig. 3, this flange isslightly larger. indiameter than the lower end of the portion 19 so that the pin 95 mayride onthe upper surface of the flange 16 when adjusting the parts toregister the" pin with its receiving socket in the flange. 7

The mechanism shown and described is simple I. in construction andeffective in operation. Moreover, it can readily and easily be-assembledor disassembled and with the pin and socket con-'- entire wringermechanismof the machine may be applied to or be removed from the machineas aunit, which it will be noted carries the latch mechanism. for thewringer; There is only one control'member forthe machine and that is thehandle '79. This member not only actuatesthe i switch '77 whereby themotor 48'ma'y be started,

stopped and reversed, but actuates the clutch for connecting the wringerwith the sourceof power whenever desired. The clutch permits the wringerrolls to be completely disconnectedfrom 156-" the tortiue' ofthei'n'iotor when swinging or adjust- I 3. In a washing machineja rollwringer there" ing the wringer to its-various positions, and thus thereis no opportunity afforded for the torque of the motor to forcibly throwthe wringer against the operator, as when the wringer rolls remain underthe possible influence of the motors torque while adjusting the wringer.

The details of construction and arrangement of parts -may be variouslychanged and modifiedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of my rclaims.

the adjustment of the wringer with V -I claim as my invention:

, 1. In a washing machine, a roll wringer therefor, ainain driving shaftfor, the-wringer rolls,

a gear completely ofisetto one side of said shaft,

saidshaft and said gear being disposed to rotate about substantiallyparallel vertical axes, a driving connection from the shaft to thewringer rolls through said gear, and means providing a mount-' ring forthe wringer whereby the latter may be adjusted about-the axis of saidoffset gear and for maintaining the driving connection constantlyengaged while swinging the wringer about the axis of the offset gear andin allv positions of adjustment of the wringer with respect to saidgear.

for, a main driving shaft for the wringer rolls, two meshing gearsdisposed in the plane of each other and arranged to rotate aboutsubstantially parallel vertical axes, one gear being coupled to theshaft and in alignment therewith, and

g the other gear completelyoffset to one side of the shaft, a drivingconnection from the 011i- 1 set gear to the wringer rolls, and meansprovid-' ing a mounting for the wringer whereby the latter may beadjusted about the axis of the oifset gear and for maintaining the gearsconstantly enmeshed while swinging the wringer about the axis of theoffset gear and in all positions of said gear.

justment of respect to t pair being completely offset "toone side of the85, V

shaft, the gears of the other pair beingbeveled with one connected withthe wringer rolls and the other to the offset gear, and means providinga mounting for the wringer whereby the latter maybe adjusted about theaxis of the offset gearand for maintaining thegears constantlyenmeshedwhile swinging the wringer about the axis of the offset gearandin all positions of adthe wringer with respect to said gear? 4. In awashing machine; a roll wringer therefor, a gearing ior actuating thewringer rolls,v

a casing providing a housing forthe gearing and,

a mounting for the wringer, said casing being dividedhorizontally into alower stationary section and an upper rotatable section, the latter i 1I i carrying the wringer and having a' rotative 2. In a washing machine,a roll wringer thererespect to the lower section, and a clamping ringsecured to the lower section in overlapping relation with said flangefor holding the section toi gether, said ring having a slot whereby thelatch member may extend therethrough toengage the notches in the flange.V

- ALVIN c. Mcc'oRD; V

